It’s been an on then off in this blog for the last few months particularly last month where there was no updates at all. Firstly, Internet connection to my home was real bad last month.
It totally went kaput for few days and when I thought it started to get better then another problem surfaced – the around midday sluggish connection. It was like a month that I was cut off from the cyber world last month. Luckily they promised to give me rebate for that problem.
I still kept the log of last month calls to Streamyx at dial ‘100′. Now I know there were Nurul, Hilmi, Tan at their call center and they had their fair share of the cursing too. I also changed the package from RM88 to RM110+10 package.
According to the lady at Bintulu TM Center – national will whole lot cheaper and there’s a cap on my phone and Internet bill to only RM120. I haven’t receive the latest bill – so there is no way for me to know if what that lady said was true.
Not many wish to remember this year Borneo Kite Festival. Not only there were less participants in this year event, there also less crowd – much smaller crowd than 2008.
Blame it on the over hype of swine flu (or H1N1 Influenza as Malaysian authority wish to call it) which has reached pandemic level. The daily occurrence of open burning in the state and neigbouring country of not much help either.
Bintulu has been shrouded in haze for a few days now. Its daily air pollutant index (API) reading is on average were 120 API – reaches the ‘unhealthy level’ index and peaked at 124 API around 5pm yesterday according to Department of Environment.
It’s an annual religious ritual in India – where villagers toss their babies.
Devotees of a small village – Pavani take part in this ritual call baby tossing – where adult throws their baby from the second floor of a shrine into the safety of sheet held by other adult below.
This practise has been popular because of the believe that the ritual good for the health of the infants.
Truemor – (not yet true but is likely to be true) has it that national daily The Star is expanding its operation in Sarawak. The daily currently has an office in Kuching and a correspondent in Miri.
As it subscriber – I’d hope that this truemor would eventually be true – so that I don’t have to wait until 5:00p.m for my paper to arrive and cost 10 cents more than the suggested price (certain shop sell it for RM2.40)
According to my journalist friends – The Star would also likely to shift the printing works to Kuching or Miri. Currently all the printing work is done by its HQ, in Kuala Lumpur.
The expansion would also likely to see several journalists from state dailies – Borneo Post and Eastern Times to jump ship.
They shouldn’t have been awarded the license to these companies in the first place, but in this Bolehland, politically connected businessmen often get their ways. This is how we end up with this mess:
The Government can revoke the licences of the three companies that have yet to provide the required WiMAX wireless service throughout the country, Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had been asked to evaluate the three companies — YTL e-Solutions Bhd, Asiaspace Dotcom Sdn Bhd and REDtone International Bhd — that had not lived up to the terms of the licences issued to them, he said.
“They have to prove by the end of the year that they are able to provide wireless services, especially to Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
Rais said all companies responsible for providing wireless services must achieve a 25% broadband penetration by the end of this year, and up to 50% by the end of next year.
On whether their licences would be revoked, he said the Government has the right to do so under the licensing terms, but had to first issue warnings to them.
“We have given them warnings to prove why their licences should not be revoked by the end of the year if they do not fulfil their responsibility as required by their licences,” he said.
Four companies were awarded the 2.3GHz spectrum, allowing them to offer wireless broadband services using WiMAX technology, in 2007: Green Packet Bhd, REDtone, YTL e-Solutions and Asiaspace.
So far only Green Packet subsidiary Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd has rolled out its service extensively, while YTL e-Solutions and Asiaspace have had limited rollouts.
Green Packet, YTL e-Solutions and Asiaspace are licensed to offer WiMAX services in the peninsula, while REDtone’s area of operation is Sabah and Sarawak.
WiMAX, which stands for World Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a digital communications system that allows wireless broadband access to the Internet.
YTL is a construction company – what do they know about telecommunication?
I’ve lost count of how many roads will be built, currently being constructed 100 days before Najib becoming our PM, and the next 100 days after he got into the highest office.
Last year – there were announcements of nearly a billion ringgit allocated by the federal government to built or repaired bridges, roads damaged after the monsoon season. Immediately after March 2008 – Abdullah announced another billion to Sarawak.
Never in our short 47 – years of independent the federal government so much love (money). I’ve lost count of this too. So hope somebody out there can help me with that.
But we’re now into the second 100-days under Najib. “More goodies” – ( not me – but how government controlled media spun of the stories) were thrown by Najib to the eastern states of Malaysia.
Under Najib’s NKRA (National Key Result Areas) the nation will spend RM5 billion (US$1.4 billion) to build roads, including RM4 billion to double the length of new roads in Sabah and Sarawak to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) from the 750 kilometers planned earlier.
But it is not clear if the 1500km roads will link places like Belaga, Kapit, Bario, Long Pa Sia, to other major towns and cities in Sarawak and Sabah?
There’s always a hidden term and condition apply in Malaysia. Remember seeing an Airasia adverts that said – it’s only cost you RM0.99 to fly from LCCT to Kuching on a one way trip!
Upon clicking the ‘pay now’ button you had the shocked of you life – when you actually need to pay RM120++. Don’t you feel being cheated – right in front of your eyes!
Earlier this month I was offered – a supposedly sweet travel voucher deal. A paid holidays of sort. Well, it isn’t that much – but had they pay me the full amount I’ll be staying at Le Meridien this coming Hari Raya holidays in Kota Kinabalu.
According to what was written in the voucher and what their local agent told me – it could be used to buy air ticket or hotel stays. However, I need to call their KL office for confirmation. So last Friday before leaving to Miri, I made a call to their KL office.
Obviously, it wasn’t a cheap call considering I need to press 1 for Bahasa Malaysia, 2 for English and 3 for Mandarin – then waited for another few seconds for the next option before finally getting through to a ‘real human voice’.
“If you want us to buy an air ticket we will charge you RM60 per ticket, sir,” a lady at the end of line said.
“Wah that already cost RM240 as there are four of us,” – I said to myself. Then asked about the other option – the hotel stay.
“For that you’ve to email us your confirmed travel itinerary,” she sweetly replied.
So today I email her my travel itinerary and the hotel where I’d be staying. Guess what.
“We will charge you RM20 per room, per night for that,” she wrote in her email. Frustrated, I e-mailed back “whatever! Just book me the darn hotel – and deduct whatever charges you want from the stated amount, and I’ll pay the remaining balances.”
Nowhere in the voucher, nor their local agent mentioned about the additional charges. It’s just so frustrating – why can’t they being truthful.
I was in Farley today, kinda bored waiting for my wife doing her usual shopping, I went to buy couple of local dailies, then, I’d usually walk straight to the other end of the supermarket reading them while having an ABC special (Air Batu Campur special or blended ice drink).
Farley ABC, is my favorite. I dare say it is probably the best in town – served in a big bowl, (sometimes feel it wasn’t big enough) and the taste is simply superb.
But today, there was something that caught my attention while at the news and magazine corner. On one of the shelves – there were about five different Malay tabloids and three of them splashing sex stories on their front pages!
I picked up one of them and quickly glanced through a story about a paralyzed husband having extraordinary energy for sex. I know what you’re thinking now.
Anyway, I didn’t read the whole story. Come on! Do you really believe it. I have not known anyone, particularly a Muslim lady willing to share her intimate husband-wife stories with me, what more with a tabloid newspaper.
It is merely a ploy by these tabloids to coax certain people to part with their hard earned RM2.80 for over sensationalize, made up, to some extent merely crap stories.
But they care nothing about that, after all, that’s how these tabloids make money. Sex sells right? Otherwise, why do you think advertisers often used beautiful, sexy, scantily clad women to promote their products?
Went to meet Pegawai Pelajaran Bintulu. Instead of meeting Fatimah Matahir, I was shown the door of Fred Antau – my former school mate, by the ‘Penolong pegawai pelajaran Abdul Muin Abdul Kassim.
“We don’t want you to wait, Fred will help you guys” Muin said then left to continue his meeting with Pn. Pegawai Pelajaran.
I thought perhaps this guy can comment on the issue at hand. Then I showed Fred what I was there for – this Youtube video:
However, upon seeing Eric Pau, United Daily News, Bintulu branch Manager name card. There were slight change in Fred voices. He then sit straight on his chair while slowly pulling away from us towards the wall.
I asked “What’s your comment?” Instead of answering my question he asked me back “Will this be in the paper?”
“Yup” I said without hesitation. After we’re there to get information – that might be of interest to the public.
Hoping, there could be something of news worthy to dig from him, we talked for couple of minutes with Fred. However, we keep getting no “no comment” answers.
You know, the standard answer you’d normally get from a government officer – a by product of over bureaucratic Bolehland government.
Sigh. I said “look like there is nothing we can get from here Eric.”
“Well, at least I can meet you, after we left Kolej” Fred interjected.
I packed my stuff, we thank Fred, then left. While at the exit door, I asked for complaint form. The clerk manning the counter – smile and gave me two forms.
“This form is for staff manning the counter and the second form for the officers” she explained.
The frustrating thing about the encounter was that I had made the appointment a week earlier. En Muin had agreed that Pn. Pegawai Pelajaran was the right person to comment on the issue.
Anyway it’s nice to have met Fred after 20 plus years.
